| Abstract Scope |
Lead provides valuable properties to the billions of copper-based bushings and bearings produced annually: high machinability, low cost, and low sliding friction. However, when lead-containing alloys are used in sliding components, their wear particles contribute to toxic environmental lead. This work explores a new family of compositionally-complex, lead-free, copper-based alloys that utilize unique particles precipitated from the melt to maintain self-lubrication. Selected elemental constituents were alloyed, and the resulting samples were homogenized and subjected to varying heat treatments to precipitate these particles throughout the matrix. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy confirmed that the alloys contained the lubricating particles, and MATLAB-based image processing techniques quantified the particle volume fraction in the sample. This characterization established a relationship between alloy composition and particle volume fraction, which can guide efforts to maximize particle content and optimize the lubrication properties of lead-free, copper-based alloys for industrial applications. |